


Fading Fire

by TrueBlueSonic



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: One Shot, Sonic Forces, also I have no idea what tags to add, just something that I thought of while procrastinating, summary is kinda bad sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 07:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30119208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueBlueSonic/pseuds/TrueBlueSonic
Summary: The sky is on fire and the air around him is burning up, and as Gadget flies into the sun in a desperate final attempt to save everyone he can only hope he has done enough.
Kudos: 3





	Fading Fire

The sky is on fire, and the air around him is burning up.

Gadget’s legs are aching from the mad scramble up Eggman’s Imperial Tower, one of the final strongholds and pinnacles of the man’s empire, dodging enemies and lasers as he ran like his life depended on it. Everyone’s life did, honestly: the defeated-turned-hopeful cries of his fellow soldiers in the Resistance do nothing to swerve away from the very real possibility that they are all about to die, and soon. Despite his rational mind _knowing_ that the sun dropping down on the world is fake the Phantom Ruby’s effects override any sense of reason or coherence, and he needs to wipe away the beads of sweat forming on his brow at the sheer heat of the virtual star looming above. Though, despite Eggman’s confidence regarding the infallibility of his plan he had had no issue sending every single one of his available units to intercept the wolf as he progressed closer to the sun falling down on them, even if in the end the man’s efforts had been for naught. Perhaps the mad scientist isn’t as sure of the success of his plan as he wants to make everyone believe, the thought giving the wolf some much-needed hope. Not everything can be changed in virtual reality. 

Hope has been a scarce good the past six months, especially at this exact moment, with the fate of the world in the balance and about to be tipped to one side for good. Gadget desperately holds on to the small shred of it that he has always carried with him, even after hearing Sonic was lost forever, even after town after town was ravaged and taken over by Eggman’s army and he could only run. Tails’ pessimistic prediction had been that the chances of success of their quickly-formulated plan are miniscule, but if there is even the tiniest possibility of saving everyone, he has to try. He’s not dependent on the mercy of Eggman’s ultimate weapon anymore, the monster cackling as he fled in Sunset City or got knocked away during their battle in Metropolis, nor is he the young, inexperienced Rookie who joined the Resistance only about four days ago, teased by Knuckles and Vector and nearly passing out three times on his first mission. The power, perhaps the choice, to save the world rests solely on his shoulders, and Gadget knew what he got into as he grappled it with both hands and no hesitation as he set off for the tower to act out their desperate long-shot. He can’t fail now. 

Far below him on the ground the battle between the Resistance and Infinite’s clones has come to a grinding halt, everyone waiting with bated breath for what will happen. It all depends on him, the rookie and the Phantom Ruby prototype held firmly in his hand. The thought of it slipping from his fingers accidentally at such a crucial moment makes him flinch, clutching the stone even closer as he tries to come up with the best way to tackle this. It would not be the first time the rock saved his life: when confronting Infinite in Metropolis it managed to undo the illusion the wolf had been trapped in for just long enough to prevent his demise. In that regard their track record is looking pretty solid, and Gadget can only hope he can pull off the same thing twice with it. The will to live is a powerful force, after all, the will for others to keep living also perhaps even stronger.

Swallowing thickly as he studies the falling star the wolf can come only to one conclusion. He’d probably need to be in contact with the sun to undo it… But considering his choices are either him and the rest of the world dying while doing nothing, him dying while inside the sun as everything else burns to a crisp, or him going in there and surviving and saving everyone, he can accept that. Despite how far away Eggman is he can hear the man’s maniacal laugh clearly, his final countdown loudly echoing throughout the crater housing his final stronghold. With a deep breath Gadget steadies himself, holding the prototype close as he runs towards the very edge of the tower with the bracelet around his wrist at the ready, and _leaps_.

“Buddy?” Tails’ voice sounds in his ear, soft and fearful. The rest of the Resistance has gone quiet in full, their encouragement and pleas to save them now only etched into the wolf’s mind as he soars through the air, aiming his grappling hook to fling himself upwards. He’s flying right in to the sun, the _sun_ , shimmering gemstone in hand and communicator quiet, and if anyone had told Gadget that the end of the world would be like this he’d have laughed and called them crazy. His entire sense of being has turned red and yellow and orange and real and fake and suffocating and _burning_ , and as he closes his eyes and focuses his wish to save everyone on the rock in his hands he can only hope he has done enough.

It had been his courage and heroism that activated the prototype in his hand, the fox had told him, and as the fire around him fades and he can breathe again gravity takes its inevitable hold and pulls him to the ground once more.

He collapses on the top of the tower, the Ruby splintering under his hands, and the sky is blue.


End file.
